What if Gaara and Naruto's stories kind of, switched? Gaara, a survivor to the pains of being a Jinchuuriki, took part in the Chuunin Exams against Konoha-nin. Uzumaki Naruto was the most horrifying student he had ever seen. Rated M for blood and gore.

Full Summary:What if Gaara and Naruto's stories kind of... switched? Gaara is Suna's Jinchuuriki; the carrier for the Bijuu and the shunned and ignored of the Wind Village. Luckily, he had found refuge with his siblings and shinobi sensei, Baki, and avoided being the monster that he could've been. And then the Chunin Exams took place, and Gaara witnessed one of the competitors from Konoha. Uzumaki Naruto had to be the most horrifying student he had ever seen, a student who craved the sight of blood and fed on the pain of others. No pairing except hints of NaruGaa. Rated M for blood and gore.

All Genres:Horror/Angst/Humor/Hurt-Comfort

Hey people! I know I'm now working on four stories at once, but this one just begged to be written down. I'm in love with all my stories, believe me, but this one is within the horror category, making it extra special (personally). Really, this one is just starting out slowly, but believe me, the real story will begin in the next chapter. This one is kind of just... a foreshadowing or something...

Anyway, in this story where Naruto's in solitude and Gaara isn't, Naruto has a more flashy and savage way of showing it than Gaara did. Really, the blond still has his sociable nature and the redhead still has his subtle personality so they're not entirely different from the two boys we all know and love, so don't get depressed. Hope you enjoy!

Disclaimer:

Naruto: Omfg... I'm more emo than Sasuke... And even GAARA! That's just messed up...

Sasuke: You think? She actually made me--

Me: NO SPOILERS! Wait till they read the chapter, guys!

Sasuke: You don't own me! Don't tell me what to do, fuzzbag!

Me: -eyebrow twitch-

Chapter 1

Horrific Beginnings

Six Years Ago…

Fire Country, Konohagakure

An untouched blond six-year-old boy walked impassively to the man bleeding profusely in the middle of the black alley; the small shirt he wore displayed a swirl splattered with scarlet liquid. The man coughed and held the fatal wound on his side, blood sputtering from his mouth and drizzling down his chin. His shinbone stuck out halfway from the top of his knee, the kneecap leaning on the back of it from its severed connection and leaving him completely immobile. His shoulder was torn open from the abnormally sharp nails the blond currently wielded.

He looked up in fear as the child towered over his submissive form, narrowing the large light blue eyes on his whiskered face. In one final act of desperation, he sat up a bit and pleaded, "No… Please… Get away, you monster! No! I don't want to die! Please! I'll do anything! Anythi-"

His pitiful request was cut short as the child kneeled and grasped the victim's neck with burning eyes, his knife-like nails hooking themselves into the vulnerable skin. The boy's prey widened his eyes in horror before he heard the last word that would ever grace his ears again.

"Pathetic…"

The boy pushed his fingers toward each other and through the neck not a moment after. Blood gushed onto his small hand as the man let out a noisy gasp, but he didn't stop there. Allowing his mouth to twitch up into a sinful smirk while his canine's shown brightly, the small killer ripped the jugular vein from its host effortlessly as one final cry of pain cut its way through the cold night air. The limp corpse fell back onto the ground as the child tossed the esophagus uncaringly to the side. His heart was racing from the thrill of the whole situation, and his maniacal smile grew from the growing insanity before his irises momentarily flashed a hint of crimson.

Six Years Later…

Wind Country, Sunagakure

A short redheaded twelve-year-old boy walked slowly down the halls of the Kazekage building, a large gourd hanging tightly on his back. His father wanted to see him. It must've been for the Chuunin Exams coming up, otherwise, the Kazekage would want nothing to do with him today. The Kazekage had a hard time getting along with his youngest son, but one couldn't say he hated him. It was his fault, after all, that his wife died and his son was what he was.

The child's two older siblings were probably there already. His pace quickened, his white sash flowing through the air behind him and his maroon suit clinging to his small body. (1) If it hadn't been for them and his sensei, Baki, he would've led a lonely life and become a threat to the very village his father wanted him to protect.

And now he was right in front of his father's office, ready to go inside. Muffled voices could be heard: probably his family and Baki-sensei. He took a deep breath and knocked loud enough to cease the talking going on inside. There was a brief pause before someone spoke.

"Come in,"

He did so, stepping in quietly before closing the wooden door behind him. The redhead looked up to see exactly who he had expected to be in here at the time. They all looked at him blankly as he blinked in return.

"You wanted to see me, Kazekage-sama?" he asked monotonously.

The addressed man hesitated slightly before answering, "Why, yes. Baki and I wanted to speak with you and your siblings about something before the Chuunin Exams start. Take a seat next to your brother."

The boy nodded in acknowledgement before looking in the other two's direction. They smiled and waved momentarily, "Hey, Gaara."

Nodding to them as well, said boy walked over and sat down next to his brother. The three then looked up at their elders patiently as the pair took deep breathes. They looked grave in a way, and Gaara wondered why -- it all seemed very suspicious. That was when his sensei looked up.

"As you know, the Chuunin Exams will be taking place in a month," he started as they looked on, "You must also know by now of our shortage of resources and shinobi around the village. Our culture is dying. Our people have little protection. We are a sitting target for the enemy villages and our reputation is starting to dwindle. Ever since our alliance with the Leaf Village, things are getting worse."

The siblings listened with a trace of fear as what they heard processed in their minds. Of course, they already could see the weaknesses the Sand Village was starting to show, but they had never heard it in words. Suddenly, the Kazekage took up the explanation.

"What you don't know, is the affiliation we now have with one of the newer hidden villages; a hidden village you most likely don't know of yet. It calls itself the Sound Village, and it dwells in the Rice Field Country. The secret trade we've started with them is one of the reasons our resources are holding up." he explained grimly, "They had offered this in return for an alliance, but they are enemies of the Leaf… They want our help to lead an assault on Konoha."

"What?!" the two older siblings yelped in unison as they stared at the two men, "Attack the Leaf? Why would we attack them! They're our allies!"

Gaara said nothing while his eyes narrowed as his suspicions came true. So, they were hiding something. His father sighed heavily before looking at his children, "Settle yourselves, Temari, Kankuro… You know our alliance with them has been causing nothing but poverty among the village."

"But that's only because of Sandaime (2)! And forgive me for saying this, but he was the one fool enough to lower our defenses. This has nothing to do with Konohagakure!" Temari pointed out desperately.

"I know… I know… But now our defenses are too low, and if the Leaf suddenly turned on us, we would be too weak to defend ourselves. Besides, Otogakure is the only reason we have resources at the moment, so we need to give them aid in return," the Kage explained sorrowfully. (3)

The three suppressed the urge to argue further as they knew the matter was settled. They were going to attack the Leaf Village, their strongest ally… There were so many things wrong with this situation, they didn't know where to begin. Finally, someone spoke that didn't usually speak, making nearly the entire room jump in surprise.

"This will be… during the Chuunin Exams?" Gaara asked suddenly as he looked up at his father.

Baki was the first to answer him, "Yes… It'll start in the middle of the Third Exam actually."

"What of the genin?" he asked further, his eyes slightly narrowing.

This time, Yondaime answered him, "There will be no possible way for them to become chuunin this time around unless a jounin recommends them for the rank."

Gaara merely nodded in acknowledgement although his eyes were still narrowed. His two older siblings ground their teeth in frustration from the village's decision while he returned to a blank expression. They reluctantly stood up and left when their father waved their dismissal. He also seemed reluctant about the result of the conference. Gaara led the way out with his arms crossed. The wrongness of this whole situation was just too much, but what could the three do? They had no say in the matter whatsoever, the Kage's children or not.

It was time. Gaara, Temari and Kankuro were to go to the Hidden Leaf Village where the hidden villages were hosting the Chuunin Exams. The first exam began in four days, and this was their time to leave for it. It would take at least three days to get to Konoha.

All three were in their rooms, packing for the three part test, and they couldn't help but wonder how they were going to overthrow the Leaf. It wouldn't be easy, that was certain. Gaara merely packed a few sets of clothing before zipping up his bag. He would have to carry it on one shoulder because of his gourd. Taking a deep breath, he left for his brother's room.

Kankuro had just finished packing when he heard a brief knock at his door. He turned before hesitantly calling for the visitor to enter. The teenager was quite surprised to see his little brother on the other side.

"Gaara?" he asked with a raised eyebrow as if he didn't trust his vision.

The redhead merely nodded before walking inside and closing the door behind him. Ever since their uncle's death it was quite hard to get close to the younger boy, thus resulting in very awkward and unnerving conversations.

"Kankuro…" the teal-eyed boy started almost melancholically, "There's something wrong with father's decision…"

"Psh… Yeah, tell me about it," the other boy answered with a sigh, "But I guess he can't have all the blame. I mean, he probably spoke with the elders about it too before telling us."

"Yes…" Gaara agreed slowly before continuing, "He wishes to use me as the main weapon in the assault."

"What?" Kankuro asked in bewilderment as he stared at his brother.

The younger boy closed his eyes before going on, "The day after the conference, he called me to his office again. He had told me that the only way the attack would be successful would be if Shukaku were to aid us."

"But… But that's too dangerous! Surely dad wouldn't go that far to-"

"If it serves my purpose, then I'm alright with it…" the redhead interrupted as his dark eyes remained closed.

The puppeteer looked at the boy with disbelief. Gaara would have to let that monster out during the Third Exam, and he was okay with it? Of course, the redhead was never one to complain about anything really. Still, this was crazy! Letting the monster out wouldn't only hurt everyone and prove difficult to stop, but it would also hurt Gaara himself, and as a brother, this was going to be a huge problem for the brunet.

"Otouto…" Kankuro started, using the one word he only called his sibling when he was dead serious, "We've already been through this… Your purpose is to live so that us people have a chance to know you. You don't know how precious you are to Temari and me."

The statement made Gaara's heart clench ever so slightly. The word "precious" was a very sensitive thing when said around him, and saying that he was precious to someone made it all the more susceptible. He winced at the reflex in his chest but showed nothing else, "Yes… But your concern isn't what I'm looking to receive anymore."

"Father, huh?" Kankuro asked as he leaned against his bed with his arms folded. Hesitantly, Gaara nodded. He had been seeking the Kazekage's consent ever since he had recovered as much as he could from his uncle's death. It had been quite difficult seeing as Gaara himself was the one who had basically killed his uncle, Yashamaru.

It had all been caused when the Kage panicked briefly about the danger his son was growing to be and absentmindedly directed his deceased-wife's brother to assassinate him. The hate in Yashamaru's heart toward the boy drove him to accept without hesitation although he had acted like Gaara's second father for his entire six-year-old life. When the attempt at murder failed and the redhead shattered the man's body with the sand he wielded, Yashamaru killed himself with explosive notes, hoping to take Gaara with him, but failed once again. The assault had nearly devastated the small boy's sanity all together if it weren't for his siblings.

Gaara stood and thought in silence for a moment before spontaneously asking, "Why don't we ever call him Chichi?"

The name that was the most endearing thing a child could call their father processed through the older boy's mind before he shrugged nonchalantly, "I don't know, maybe it's because he's the Kazekage, and I guess calling him that would almost be a form of weakness and disrespect in his honor."

"Hn…" was all that escaped the other's lips before he opened his eyes again. Kankuro stared back at his brother with a mirrored blank expression. The puppet master was the one person he was closest to, and probably the only one he could have sociable conversations with. He averted his teal eyes after a few wearisome seconds.

"Weakness…" he repeated finally, his throat curling in disgust of the word. Despite the sand shield that kept him physically analgesic, he knew he was obviously weak. His conscience was weak, his mentality was frail, and his soul, his spirit, was pathetic. He must be the living embodiment of embarrassment for his father.

"If you're thinking what I think you're thinking, Gaara…" Kankuro trailed off for a moment or two before letting his frustration show through with a growl, "Dammit! You're not weak! This is getting more and more ridiculous. Just because dad doesn't have the best of relationships with you, doesn't mean you embarrass him!"

Gaara's expression remained blank, but his frustration began to rise, "How would you know that, Kankuro? You have no idea, do you? You're not even sure yourself about what you just said, are you?"

"Yes, I am. If anything, you're one of the strongest people I have ever known…" the brunet confessed quietly. His sibling stared blankly, clearly taken aback from the sudden statement. It was so sincere and gentle, it was almost disturbingly nerve-racking. The older of the two looked away uncomfortably before continuing, "But you don't know it… Hell, I can't blame you though…"

"Why… Why would you say that?" his little brother asked suddenly.

It was a moment or two before the other replied, finally looking up into the other's eyes, "Because… Because you've been through so much torture, and hate, and pain, and I can't even begin to think of any possible way that you could've gotten through it all without breaking. Not many people could survive a cruel world like ours being seen the way most people see you, but you did. Otouto, nothing about you is weak."

The redhead was still slightly taken aback after this explanation. A tension quickly went up between the two brothers for a long while. Gaara could only stare. Was this really how his brother saw him? As one of the strongest people he knew? Finally, he regained his calm composure before turning swiftly to head out the door. Kankuro sighed from the result of the conversation, still a bit frustrated about Gaara's self-consciousness, but turned to walk toward his private bathroom nonetheless, knowing full well that their socializing had quickly come to an end. It was the sudden words that rapidly graced his ears that made him jump and look over his shoulder.

"Thank you…"

And with that, the door closed shut.

One Month Earlier…

Fire Country, Konohagakure

A white-haired jounin walked across the room, his nose and mouth kept hidden under a navy mask. The one eye, revealed in contrast to the other features of his face, looked quite bored. So… This was the Jinchuuriki's apartment? It almost looked like no one had lived here for years. All the furniture was buried in half-inch thick dust. He was a twelve-year-old boy. Wouldn't he have gotten that one instinct that twelve-year-old boys get that literally commanded them to trash anything that looked neat in the slightest? A smirk nearly spread across the man's cloth-covered face.

The Third Hokage stood behind him in silence, clearly thinking about something important. His eyes followed the other blindly as he observed the ostensibly empty apartment living room. The man seemed to be very interested in the dust factor of the area.

"So… This is the apartment that the elders let him have? He must be bored out of his mind…" the younger ninja commented with a slight smile in his eye, "But really… Doesn't the cleanliness strike you as odd?"

The Hokage nearly smirked, "Yes… The living room and kitchen may look clean… But all the food is spoiled rotten. If you opened the fridge at this very moment, you'd probably die from the fumes that would explode in your face."

"I see…" was all the other said before the older of the two continued with closed eyes.

"The cleanliness mainly is the effect of not spending really any time in these two rooms at all…"

"Meaning…" the jounin trailed off with his visible eyebrow raised.

The other's eyes remained shut, "Meaning that you should take a look at his bedroom…"

The man appeared to raise an eyebrow at the sudden suggestion. He had to admit, the sudden neat appearance of the boy's home was shocking, but what made the bedroom so special amongst the rooms? He got his answer when the older man opened the door that led to the sleeping area and he followed him inside. The entire room was a mess of chaos and debris. Rubble lied where dressers and stands should've been. A large mirror was in shards on the torn and slashed out carpet. The doors of the closet were ripped savagely off their hinges and the half of one door was in splinters. And the bed… Oh Lord, the bed… It looked as if an abnormally large beast had had a nightmare under the covers. Teeny feathers that were once pillows were actually neatly piled in the middle of the broken mattress.

The man looked around the shredded area with a look of slight shock and slight remorse. It was a moment or two before he finally said something, "He has a lot of hate doesn't he, Hokage-sama?"

"Yes… Almost too much… But who are we to blame him? No matter where a human sacrifice grows up, they are all treated the same… That's just how cruel us people are," the Leader of the Leaf Village pointed out drastically.

"True…" the other answered slowly as he further observed the room, "And I'm guessing this is why you chose me? Because you think I can handle it?"

"I originally had two choices, to be brutally honest," exclaimed the Kage with a small smile, "It was between you and the only other ANBU member and ninja of Konoha that could handle the job successfully. So then I thought: Tenzou, a current ANBU Black-Ops, or Hatake Kakashi, a former ANBU Black-Ops."

"I see where Asuma gets his decision making from…" the one assumedly named Kakashi replied with a sigh.

The older man laughed at this before going silent again. After a couple more minutes of allowing the Hatake to look around, they left the boy's apartment in silence. Now, it was time to face the one small boy that had kept the village in fear for twelve years.

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A black-haired, twelve-year-old boy snuck quick glances at the whiskered student sitting a seat away. They had never really talked before, but the student had seen what the blond could do, and he hated to admit it, but it horrified him. He was a monster. His eyes would flash crimson every time that certain thrill would take him over. His canines would lengthen and his hair would become more savage and unruly than it was.

Yes, the boy had witnessed this walking home one rainy day when he was eight. The blond child had a grown man by the neck pressed firmly against a brick wall. The sight had the black-eyed boy frozen to his spot on the sidewalk. The guy that fell victim to him was missing an ear. Something dark drizzled down his chin and his neck was bleeding hectically from where the boy had him around the throat. His left upper arm was broken in such a way that the ends of where it was broken stabbed through the surface of his skin. To complete the pain was the overwhelmingly bruised skin and the deep cut that loomed over his left eye.

The one torturing him had an insane grin plastered to his face. After that, the other boy didn't witness the scene any further as he had taken off in the other direction as fast as his legs would allow.

And now, he was separated from this hot-blooded killer by one young, pink-haired kinoichi in training that seemed terrified of her position next to the blond. His thoughts were quickly cut off when their sensei called his name for the team he was being assigned to. He jumped in surprise before staring around wide-eyed at the brown-haired man. (4)

"Err… Excuse me, Iruka-sensei? I didn't catch what group I was in. Could you repeat that?" he requested suddenly.

This earned him a slightly confused glare from his teacher, "Hmm…? That doesn't seem like you, Sasuke. You don't usually drift off like that. Something troubling you?"

"Err… No, I'm fine… I kind of just dazed off for a moment," the student defended lightly.

It took a moment for the names to process in Sasuke's mind. The name of the monstrous boy took the longest to understand. Uzumaki Naruto, the boy that had murdered so many people in his young life, was going to be his teammate. He snuck a quick glance at the two teammates who just so happened to sit directly to his right. The pink-haired girl was Sakura, who had, like every other girl in the Academy, swooned over him and his personality in such a way that it really grated on his nerves. But that didn't matter now. He looked passed her to the fox-like student that had somehow successfully killed many without detection. The boy seemed unfazed and indifferent in response to the assigning as he leaned back coolly in his chair and held his arms folded behind his spiky head.

What he wore only seemed to reflect his character. A black T-shirt under a dark-orange leather vest hugged his torso while long ribbons of white cloth wrapped around his forearms. Ebony pants that exposed half of his shin and long, black toe-shoes completed the outfit. (5)

He had a hauntingly blank expression and a nonchalant composure. He essentially looked kind of bored. His lids were drooped so low, it actually seemed as if he were asleep. Sasuke wished he hadn't noticed, but Naruto was unusually quiet today. Usually, he would add snide remarks and sarcastic insults anywhere he saw fit, especially when they could offend Iruka himself, but today, he hadn't said a word at all. This actually scared the Uchiha. When someone wasn't himself, no good would come of it.

Slowly, Iruka's words seemed to finally process in his mind, "And each three-man team will wait here together for their new jounin sensei. They will be the leader and commander of the group and you must follow their orders if you want to become respected shinobi yourselves. But until they come, why don't you take some time to get to know you're new fellow comrades? It's more than likely you'll be a good team if you're good friends as well."

Good friends? With Naruto? Ha! That was a good one! Why not slit his throat and toss him face-first into Hyuuga Hiashi while the man blew up over the blood suddenly on his shirt? Heh, Sasuke would rather that than try to get to know Naruto. But when he looked over, he saw that the blond was making no such attempt. Instead, he seemed to be gazing intently into the abyss with half-lidded blue eyes while Sakura subconsciously scooted closer to the Uchiha. What surprised him further was that he wasn't bothered by it.

"Hey Sasuke-kun…" she greeted quietly as quick sea-green glances were shot at the boy to her right, "I… I guess we're teammates now."

He didn't answer. It seemed she was more flustered from her fear of Naruto then she was being close to her crush. She wasn't even blushing, but this Sasuke understood. Naruto could kill both of them without a second thought, no matter how skilled the boy was.

"Would you, um… like to get something to, err… eat while we wait?" she inquired suddenly, her full attention on him this time.

Before he could answer, Naruto suddenly stood up without so much as a warning. He had shot up so quickly, nimbly and quietly, it didn't even look as if he were sitting in the first place. And before anyone could say or do anything else, he was out the door of the classroom to god-knows-where. Sakura must've witnessed what the blond could do as well since she was trembling by then. Sasuke honestly wanted to reach out and calm her with a gentle grip, but thought better of it.

Instead, he attempted to soothe her with a more subtle method, "Sakura… Don't be afraid of Naruto. He can't do anything under the watch of our jounin captain."

'At least… I hope he can't…' was the thought that immediately came to mind. Nonetheless, she smiled graciously up at him and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear while a red tint heated her cheeks. Great… Since there was nothing else there to keep her attention anymore, she would move into her fairytale faze and swoon over him once again.

Sure enough, she was squealing inside from the fact that he actually cared.

"Th-Thank you, Sasuke. That gave me the relief I needed…" she pointed out shyly.

Wait… Shyly? Hmm… It looked like she was still recovering from the blond's presence. Good, it meant less irritation coming his way.

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So… This was his group? Kakashi looked from the small emerald-eyed girl to the pale, black-haired boy and then finally to the darkly clothed blond. He looked bored out of his mind, but they both knew he was contemplating about something. As he was usually to all meetings and scheduled conferences, Kakashi Hatake was late to pick up his team from the Academy. They were the last three inside the school, and he was almost sorry he hadn't gotten there sooner. The other two kids were probably terrified of being left alone with the golden-haired boy.

He finally looked up from his place on the fence and tried to look friendly, "So, why don't we start by introducing ourselves? This way, we'll have better communication and such with one another."

This earned a snort from Naruto's direction. The jounin ignored it effortlessly and looked to Sakura, "Why don't we start with you, Miss…?"

"Oh… Uh… My name's Haruno Sakura…" she greeted hurriedly as her attention was focused on the blond on the other side of Sasuke just a few seconds before.

'I can see why…' thought Kakashi as his eye quickly swept her hair (6) before turning to the next student, "How about you… You are…?"

"…" he didn't answer for a moment or two. His black eyes were blank, and he was glaring at nothing in particular, but Kakashi, being the patient man that he was, waited along with him until finally, the young boy answered, "Uchiha Sasuke…"

Kakashi's one visible eye nearly widened. So this was one of the only two survivors from the slaughter of the Uchiha Clan. This was the younger brother of Uchiha Itachi, one of the most dangerous S ranked criminals in the Bingo Book. This boy's life must've been devastated after that. It took the jounin a moment or two before continuing the introduction.

"I see…" he replied blankly before landing his single gaze on the blond to his right, "And I'm certain that everyone here knows of you, Uzumaki Naruto."

There was mockingly weary sigh before said boy drawled out, "Yes, I guess so, Kakashi-senpai."

The man was actually slightly taken aback by the sudden response. He paused ever so slightly before replying, "So, you know of me as well? How well?"

"Hatake Kakashi, son of Hatake Sakumo, also known as Konoha's White Fang, and once a student under the Fourth Hokage. You're currently a twenty-seven year-old jounin master who was formerly an ANBU Black-Ops Commander. You graduated the Academy at age five and passed the Chuunin Exams at age six. You utilize over a thousand jutsu in gift of the sharingan eye you inherited from you're old teammate, Uchiha Obito and it has earned you the nickname, 'Copy Ninja Kakashi'. You're chronically late for most meetings, which mostly results from spending much time at the Grave Marker by the Training Field. Your birth date is September fifteenth and you have an O blood type. You have accelerated success in Ninjutsu, Taijutsu, Genjutsu and Doujutsu and you're Sealing Knowledge is at it's peak." Naruto explained effortlessly before leaning back with a yawn.

Kakashi could've sworn he felt his eyebrow twitch dangerously after the explanation. How in the blue hell did he…? There was no possible way a twelve-year-old graduate could've figured that out all on his own, but then again, Naruto wasn't an ordinary boy. Much of that stuff was unknown to the people who were actually closest to him, and yet, this young ninja could explain it without so much as a second thought. The other two stared in perplexity from the sudden knowledge, but remained quiet. It took a couple seconds of shock before the teacher gathered himself enough to respond.

"Well… If I didn't know better, I'd say you were stalking me…" he pointed out rather calmly, "But seeing as there was no way you could know that much from mere pursuit, I'd say you've done some research."

"I tend to want to know about who'll be trampling into my life, Kakashi-senpai." the student stated simply, but his eyes slightly narrowed into bluish slits.

"Well done… But from now on, call me 'Kakashi-sensei'. I am you're new teacher after all." Kakashi passively answered while his arms crossed over his chest.

"Strictly speaking, Kakashi-senpai, you're the new team leader," the blond corrected in a state of boredom.

'Smart ass…' immediately ran through Sasuke's mind as he slightly glared over at his new teammate. But the former ANBU member retained his composure, "Yes, I guess so, huh? But I'm curious, does calling me senpai make you feel older or something?"

"…"

This time the narrowing of the younger boy's eyes was all too obvious. He didn't say anything, but another statement seemed to exist through his eyes, 'Watch it…'

The other challenged him, 'Or what?'

Naruto's eyes flashed dangerously.

'Or you're going to beg for death before the end…'

Kakashi's eyes actually hinted a bit of amusement, 'Hn… That sounds a little cliché. You and what army?'

'You'd just love to die, wouldn't you?' Naruto almost growled.

There was a quick shrug.

'Nah… You know, twenty-seven's a bit young…'

There was a further narrowing of crystalline eyes.

'It doesn't matter when you look thirty years older than you are.'

'Now, if you're referring to the gray hair…' Kakashi actually glared this time.

And meanwhile, the other two looked between sensei and student as the staring match kept on. (7) It wasn't long until Sasuke got a little impatient.

"What are you two doing?" he asked irritably.

This caught their attention almost immediately. Naruto regained his usual bored expression before leaning back again, paying the student no mind as Kakashi glanced at him curiously. It was another moment or two before someone spoke.

"My apologies, Sasuke, Sakura… I must've dazed off for the moment. What I really want to talk to you guys about would be the test in which I'll figure if you all are good enough to be shinobi…" he started plainly as he pretended to dust his vest off. While he said this, a swift statement came to mind, 'Really to find out more of Naruto's combative nature…'

He glanced again at the murderer who seemed like he wanted to be anywhere but there at the moment. If one just took a two-second glance at the boy, they'd probably think he was just another ordinary kid dying of boredom, that is, until they would look into his eyes. One feature completely gave his character away.

The dim gleam was enough to explain it all…

He had no dreams.

He had no drive.

His crystalline eyes were dark, dull and dead, at least, until they flashed a scarlet full of excitement and bloodlust. It was then, and only then, that one would know he was really, truly alive…

So, how was it? A little violent, eh? And if you're minorly or majorly disturbed... GOOD! It means I'm doing well as a Horror author so far. I gave you fair warnings that it was going to have blood and gore. Oh, and if you don't know, the numbers placed throughout the story are just to point out a few things encase you don't completely understand.

(1) In this story, he's already wearing the maroon suit he changed into after his fight with Naruto. I figured he wouldn't dress as darkly if he didn't think his purpose was to kill.

(2) For the some that see the word "Sandaime" and immediately think "Sarutobi" I am not referring to the Third Hokage, but instead the Third Kazekage. The term can be correctly used for both.

(3) In this story, why they invaded Konoha is a bit different from the reason used in the original Anime. In here, they were actually forced to do so because my Sand Yondaime is different than the Kazekage we all know. He's more understanding than evil and stupid.

(4) Another root change in this story is that Iruka's parents did not die when the Kyuubi attacked Konoha, therefore, he held no sympathy for Naruto and did not acknowledge him. Thus, causing the shunned boy to live in further solitude.

(5) I thought Naruto wouldn't where such bright clothing if he didn't have as much motivation as he did with Iruka. So, I changed his wardrobe to something darker, but then, Naruto wouldn't be really Naruto if he didn't have on orange at all, so I gave him a dark orange vest. XD

(6) If you don't understand, Sakura means "Cherry Blossom" or something like that. And the reason Kakashi can see why she was named was for her pink hair. Get it? Huh? LoL... XP

(7) Don't tell me you've never held a conversation with merely your eyes, cause I have. It's quite fun, but takes a lot of practice. Originally, you have to really know the person you're holding eye contact with to understand the slightest meanings in their eyes. Naruto can do this with Kakashi for earlier obvious events.

Wow... I know, I know. A LOT of number notes, but hey, I want my readers to fully understand what I mean. -rubs back of head- Does that make me a perfectionist? Anyway, read and review if you liked the first chapter!

The author would like to thank you for your continued support. Your review has been posted.